


Freckles, Flaws, and First Steps

by starryeyedchar



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Freckles, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, Langst, M/M, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2019-01-06 15:15:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12213462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starryeyedchar/pseuds/starryeyedchar
Summary: Lance has the bad habit of hiding everything that he doesn't like about himself under a fake smile.So he hides his freckles, too. He hates them, after all.But what happens when he can't hide anymore?Or Lance is insecure about even the smallest things, and Keith helps him take the first step.





	Freckles, Flaws, and First Steps

**Author's Note:**

> For a prompt from my tumblr! Hope you enjoy seeing it here.

Lance had always been an outdoorsy kid.

It wasn’t surprising, considering how close his house was to the beach. Growing up, the ocean was practically part of his backyard.

No matter what, if Lance wasn’t at school or doing any number of chores, he could be found at the beach. Rain or shine, night and day, whatever the circumstance, no one could stand between him and the shore.

His older brother liked to joke that Lance could swim in the ocean before he could walk. Lance’s sister complained that he tracked sand into the house. And his parents were driven near mad by his never ending sneaking out so he could collect seashells, or do something else of the kind.

Pictures of Lance as a child, with his freckled face and bright smile full of his missing baby teeth, were hung all over the house.

However, when Lance got a little older… well. His sudden growth spurt came with its fair share of acne, sending him into his awkward years without warning.

Lance had never been one of the most popular kids, though he had a decent amount of friends. But the abrupt changes made him the subject of a lot of teasing.

Lance became fixated on his appearance. He tried every facial routine he could think of, getting into numerous ridiculous hygiene habits that amused his family to no end.

But it worked.

Face masks were his saving grace, and after wearing them every night to what seemed like no end for a while, they began to fix his problem.

Due to all the crazy practices he entertained, Lance now got compliments on how clear his skin was, how smooth, how attractive a young man he was growing up to be.

He still wasn’t satisfied, though.

Because the freckles that’d dusted across his nose and cheeks for as long as he could remember now just seemed like more blemishes to him. More imperfections that he should get rid of. But no amount of skin routines would make them go away.

He didn’t plan it. Lance’s sister had asked him to get her phone from her room, and the makeup was just… sitting there. He took it on a whim, used it once, and… after that, he couldn’t stop.

He just looked so much _better_ without them. Finally, there was nothing in his appearance for people to use against him. Nothing that couldn’t be easily hidden from other people.

He never told his sister, and she never asked, but she knew. Lance knew that she did. It was in the sad glances she cast his way, the pointed looks at where his freckles were _supposed_ to be. And the way that from that point on, she bought him foundations and concealers perfect for his skin, masking both the freckles and the fact that he was hiding anything at all.

And that was just the way it was. He’d wear makeup during the day, a face mask at night, and not let anyone see him in between.

Until he ran out.

* * *

In retrospect, Lance should’ve realized he’d use up his stash eventually. But that didn’t stop him from panicking. He didn’t even notice that the amount of makeup he kept in his bathroom was dwindling until it was too late. He’d always thought they’d visit Earth before he got himself in this situation.

Allura had given him all sorts of Altean facial creams, but he’d been too scared to ask her about makeup. He knew for a fact Pidge despised any sort of cosmetics with a passion, and he hadn’t been able to find anything at the Space Mall the few times they’d been there.

Lance was racking his brain for other possible solutions when a knock sounded at the door.

“ _Mierda_.”

“Lance? You in there? This isn’t the first time you’ve skipped breakfast, but if you don’t hurry it up we’re going to start training without you. And then you’ll whine that you weren’t included.”

Lance resisted the urge to curse again. _Anyone_ but Keith. Back at the Garrison, Lance had always shut himself in the bathroom to do his morning and nightly routines, but he was sure Hunk had his suspicions. Pidge too, probably.

But Keith? Seeing him like this? Lance definitely did _not_ need that.

“Um, I’m really not… feeling well. I think maybe I better sit out on training, for today?” With luck, he’d be able to sneak out on a pod and find some place where he could get the space equivalent of makeup. If they caught him coming back he’d just say he was meeting up with some alien girl.

“Lance, Lotor’s on the move. We can’t slack off on training just because you’re feeling a bit under the weather,” Keith told him, sounding nothing short of exasperated. “I know you’re tired, but we’ve got to power through it.”

“I… really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Lance replied, already ducking inside his bathroom, returning to his search. Surely he must have _something_ he could use. “I’d probably just get in your way? It’s fine, just train without me, I’ll work extra hard tomorrow. Promise.”

Lance could practically _hear_ the frown in Keith’s voice. “Lance, what’s going on in there? Are you okay?”

“Told you, I’m just sick!” Lance said quickly. “Nothing to worry about. Just go ahead and start training, Mr. Fearless Leader.”

Socially oblivious as Keith was, it didn’t take much for him to notice that Lance was speaking way too high and fast for him to be as relaxed as the words would imply.

“Lance,” Keith warned. “What are you not telling me?”

Lance shook his head, though Keith couldn’t see it. “Nothing! I swear! I just don’t feel so well, there’s no need to—”

“Are you hiding another injury?” Keith interrupted, voice now angry. “Lance, if you need to use a pod then just do it! You’re going to get yourself killed, thinking you can take care of this stuff yourself.”

“Well, I highly doubt a pod could fix this,” Lance muttered to himself, forgetting that Keith could hear everything he said.

The silence stretched just long enough for Lance to realize his mistake, before Keith spoke again.

“That’s it.” His voice shook. “I’m coming in. You better not be bleeding to death when I get in there.”

Lance immediately locked himself inside his bathroom, just as he heard the telltale swish of his room’s door sliding open.

“Keith, I’m telling you, I’m fine! Go back to the others!”

“I’m supposed to be the leader now, right? So, let me in! That’s an order!” Keith pounded on the door.

Lance was really starting to panic now. His breaths came in short, heavy gasps as he sunk onto the floor. He didn’t want any of them to find out, not like this. Not _ever_ preferably, and especially not Keith.

What if they’d tease him about it, like they did with every other flaw he had? What if they did exactly what the kids at school had, all those years ago? Lance wouldn’t be able to stand it.

Just another thing to add to the list of why he was different than everyone else.

He _hated_ the way he looked, but in their eyes he was cool, handsome. Or… he hoped to be.

But if they saw him like this, at his worst, saw the _real_ Lance… if they knew how ugly he was, underneath the mask he put up…

Lance felt tears welling up in his eyes, which only increased at the thought of how _stupid_ it was that he was crying over this, like a quiznaking baby.

“Lance?!”

With a resigned sigh, Lance opened the door, only to bury his face in his knees again.

Keith only took a step inside the bathroom, looking around. “Wha— oh my god, you’re okay. Well, you’re crying, but… why are you crying?”

Lance let out a short laugh at that, but it was probably equally hysterics. He looked up, and Keith’s eyes widened when they landed on Lance’s face. “You happy now?”

“Woah,” Keith whispered. If Lance hadn’t hid his face again, he might’ve noticed that Keith was blushing. “Since… since when do you have freckles?”

Lance picked up an empty bottle of foundation and promptly chucked it at him, but there was no real force behind it. Keith dodged easily. “Since I ran out,” he said bitterly.

“Ran out…?” Keith looked down at the bottle on the ground beside him, then slowly brought his gaze back to Lance. “You mean to tell me you’ve been covering your freckles with makeup this _entire time_?”

“Several years, actually,” Lance corrected. “But yes, that includes the whole of our space adventure.”

Keith whistled. “Dude, I thought you couldn’t keep a secret to save your life, the way you always run your mouth.”

Lance snorted, ducking his face further down as more tears welled up in his eyes. “You’d be surprised.”

Keith didn’t respond for a moment. Then—

“Why?”

Lance glanced back up, against his better judgment. “Why what?”

“Why’d you hide them?” Keith asked, looking genuinely curious, much to Lance’s surprise.

“Why?” Lance echoed. He gestured at his face. “They’re ugly. _I’m_ ugly.”

Keith’s eyebrows furrowed. “You actually believe that?”

“It’s what I’ve been told,” Lance mumbled with a sigh, leaning his head back against the walI. “I hate them. I wish they’d just… disappear.”

“But _why_?”

“Have you not been paying attention?” Lance glared at him. “They’re _ugly_! I wish I didn’t have any stupid freckles!”

Keith hummed, and sat down beside him. “I don’t know. I think freckles are cute.”

Lance gaped at him, thinking he must’ve misheard. “Wh… I’m sorry, _what_?!”

“You heard me. There’s nothing wrong with them. They’re cute.”

Lance stared at the ground. “Well, that’s what you think, but I still… I don’t like them. They just… I see them when I look in the mirror, and I see everything wrong with me. They remind me that I’m far from perfect. Every flaw, everything I try to pretend isn’t there. I know it’s stupid, but I guess… I guess I feel like maybe if I hide them, and forget about them, maybe I’ll be able to forget about all the other stuff, too.”

“I’m not going to tell you you’re not flawed, because you definitely are,” Keith began, and Lance rolled his eyes. “ _But_ , so are the rest of us. None of us are perfect. That’s what makes us human— our flaws are a part of us. Just like your freckles are a part of you. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Lance laughed, rubbing at his eyes. “And here you don’t think you’re a good leader. Last time I checked, you couldn’t even listen to advice, let alone give it.” His smile was small, but at least it was there. That was enough for Keith. “And I hate to break it to you, Keith, but you’re _not_ actually a human. Half alien, remember?“

“Well, Allura and Coran are both full-on aliens, and they’re not perfect either. Everyone on this castle has their fair share of issues.”

“Oh, really? What’s wrong with Coran and Allura, then?”

Keith schooled his features into a perfectly straight face. “Their _ears_ ,” he said, in a terrible British accent. “Are hideous.”

Lance snorted.

“I mean, really,” Keith continued, now grinning. “You’re expected to hide your freckles and they just walk around with those pointy abominations visible all the time? They look like elves!”

Lance was full on laughing now. “And now you’re making _jokes_? Who are you, and what’ve you done with the real Keith?”

“In all seriousness, though, you wouldn’t want me to cover it with makeup if my skin started turning purple, would you?” Keith asked.

Lance shook his head, looking confused by the very idea. “Of course not. That wouldn’t matter to us.”

“Even though I’d hate it?” Keith pressed, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Well, yeah, of course I wouldn't— oh.”

“Exactly. You don’t have to be uncomfortable around us, Lance. We’re… we’re almost like family, at this point. You shouldn’t have to hide parts of yourself from us.” Keith told him, then sighed. “But if you want to, I can try and help you find something else to cover them.”

Lance considered this. “No, it’s… it’s fine. I think you’re right. Maybe flaws are something to be proud of, not hidden. Why pretend to be perfect if you know it’s impossible, right?”

Keith smiled again. “I can tell them not to ask, if you want.”

“I think I want to hear what they have to say.”

* * *

Keith led Lance out of his room by hand, going towards the training deck where the other four paladins were waiting.

Shiro just did a double take, but ultimately acknowledged it with nothing more than a friendly smile and nod Lance’s way.

Pidge just took one look at him and grumbled something about how it was unfair that she only ever _burned_ in the sun.

Hunk patted his shoulder, giving him a look that plainly said, ‘I totally knew, but I’m glad you’re doing this.’

Allura walked right up to him, face curious. Lance felt Keith tense beside him as she openly stared. “I didn’t know humans could have markings like these…”

Lance nodded, trying to keep from growing anxious. “They’re called freckles.”

“Freckles,” she repeated, as if testing the word on her tongue. Finally she grinned, reaching out and pinching one of his cheeks, pointing at the pink Altean markings on her own face. “We match!”

Lance let out a breath, and felt Keith squeeze his hand. He couldn’t help but smile.

He still had a long way to go in terms of accepting himself, and facing his fears. But as far as first steps go, Lance felt this was the right direction.


End file.
